.jpg) Veličković withPartizan in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partizan Mozzart Bet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Player development coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1986-10-05)5 October 1986 (age 39) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Serbian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 105 kg (231 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2008:undrafted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2004–2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 12, 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Partizan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Real Madrid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Mega Vizura | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Brose Baskets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Mega Vizura | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Trabzonspor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Partizan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Novica Veličković (Serbian Cyrillic:Новица Величковић; born 5 October 1986) is a Serbian former professionalbasketball player who is currently the player development coach forPartizan Mozzart Bet. He also represented the seniorSerbian national basketball team internationally.
Veličković started playing basketball for KK Drvomarket in 1996. Then he played forZemun from 1998 to 2001 before signing withKK Partizan in 2001.
Veličković made his professional debut with Partizan during the 2004–05 season. He made hisEuroLeague debut on 3 November 2005 againstPau-Orthez, scoring 2 points.[1]In the2007–08 season, Veličković had a bigger role in the team. On 16 January 2008 in an 88–87 loss toLottomatica Roma, he scored 22 points and 9 rebounds, his best game in new season.[2] He led the team with 11 points and 4 rebounds to theEuroLeague Quarterfinals in an 82–73 win overPanathinaikos on 19 March 2008.[3] Over the season, in 22 EuroLeague games, Veličković averaged 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. As of 2018, Veličković was the only player to not be drafted by anyNBA team in anNBA draft.
In February 2009, he won theSerbian Cup in an 80–65 win overCrvena zvezda and he was theMVP of the competition.[4] On 31 March 2009, Veličković scored a career-high 26 points againstCSKA Moscow.[5] On 18 April 2009, he helped his team with 17 points and 8 rebounds in a 63–49 win overCibona to win the2008–09 ABA League trophy. For his performances, he was named theAdriatic League Final Four MVP.[6] In April 2009, he won theEuroLeague Rising Star award for the2008–09 season.[7] Partizan finished the season by winning 8th consecutive Serbian League title, after once again defeating their archrivals, Crvena zvezda, 3–2 in the league's finals series.[8] Veličković was named theSerbian Super League MVP andMVP of the Finals.
Veličković was seen as the first target ofReal Madrid's new coachEttore Messina. His transfer, with the signing of a two-year contract with an option for a third one, was made official on 23 June 2009.[9] In June 2012, Real Madrid decided to release Veličković due to the numerous injuries.[10]
On 31 January 2013, he signed a short-term contract with the Serbian teamMega Vizura.[11][12] In the game againstRadnički Kragujevac on 12 May, he recorded season-best 37 points while shooting 11 from 16 from the field and grabbed 8 rebounds.[13]
On 5 August 2013, Veličković signed a contract for the upcoming season with the German teamBrose Baskets.[14][15] He was released on 20 February 2014.[16] Four days later, he returned toMega Vizura for the remainder of the season.[17]
On 21 June 2014, he signed a one-year contract with the Turkish teamTrabzonspor.[18][19] On 24 May 2015, he extended his contract with Trabzonspor for one more season.[20]
On 1 March 2016, Veličković left Trabzonspor and signed with his former club Partizan for the rest of the season.[21] On 7 May, Veličković made his re-debut for Partizan againstBorac Čačak and recorded 9 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.[22]
On 14 September 2016, Veličković re-signed with Partizan for the2016–17 season,[23] and he became the new team captain.[24] In March 2017, he was selected for the ideal team of the2016–17 ABA League season,[25] after averaging 11.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 26 games.
On 18 September 2017, he re-signed with Partizan for the 2017–18 season.[26] On 18 February 2018, inFinal of2017–18 Radivoj Korać Cup, Veličković played his 400th match for the club.[27] He helped the club to win their first trophy in almost four years, with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assist in an 81–75 win overCrvena zvezda.[28] In 21 games of the2017–18 ABA League First Division, he averaged 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
On 10 August 2018, Veličković signed a one-year contract extension with Partizan.[29] In 2018–19 season, after struggling with conditioning and game shape in the beginning of the season, he regained trust of head coachAndrea Trinchieri and saw increased minutes until the end of the season. In the2018–19 ABA League First Division, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists over 11.8 minutes played per games. Partizan defended theRadivoj Korać Cup trophy, but failed to win championships in ABA League and Serbian League.
On 18 January 2020, Veličković broke the club record with 472 games played for the club, surpassingPetar Božić at the all-time list.[30] He won the2019–20 Radivoj Korać Cup with Partizan in February 2020. Over 18 ABA League games, he averaged 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. In EuroCup, he appeared in 8 games and averaged 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds before the season wascancelled due toCOVID-19 pandemic. On 1 September 2020, he re-signed with Partizan.[31]
In the2020–21 season, which would be his last season as professional player, Veličković averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds over 17 ABA League games, while shooting 42.9% from the field goal. In Eurocup, he appeared in 5 games and averaged 5.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. On 8 July 2021, he announced his retirement from his basketball career at age 34.[32] During his career, he made a record 509 appearances for Partizan. Veličković's last game was coachŽeljko Obradović's first after his return to the club since 1993.[33]
Veličković was a member of the U20 Serbian national teams in 2005 and 2006 inChekhov andİzmir respectively. He made his debut with the seniorSerbian national team at theEuroBasket 2007, inSpain, and he also won the silver medal at theEuroBasket 2009, inPoland. He was also a member of the Serbian national team at the2010 FIBA World Championship, where Serbia was defeated 99-88 byLithuania in the game for the bronze medal.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Partizan | 12 | 0 | 3.4 | .714 | .500 | .333 | .5 | .0 | .3 | .0 | 1.0 | -0.1 |
| 2006–07 | 20 | 1 | 7.0 | .500 | .500 | .520 | 1.8 | .3 | .5 | .1 | 2.8 | 3.0 | |
| 2007–08 | 22 | 21 | 28.2 | .446 | .299 | .750 | 6.9 | 1.6 | .8 | .3 | 10.6 | 11.7 | |
| 2008–09 | 19 | 15 | 26.1 | .428 | .324 | .750 | 5.1 | 1.8 | .8 | .4 | 11.5 | 11.7 | |
| 2009–10 | Real Madrid | 16 | 8 | 22.6 | .500 | .417 | .576 | 4.1 | 1.8 | .8 | .3 | 7.9 | 9.1 |
| 2010–11 | 19 | 2 | 12.1 | .416 | .333 | .462 | 2.8 | .5 | .2 | .2 | 3.4 | 3.3 | |
| 2011–12 | 7 | 1 | 11.5 | .414 | .300 | .250 | 1.9 | 1.6 | .7 | .1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | |
| 2013–14 | Brose Baskets | 5 | 4 | 20.0 | .357 | .083 | .833 | 2.8 | 1.2 | .4 | .0 | 7.2 | 4.8 |
| Career | 120 | 52 | 17.2 | .446 | .310 | .632 | 3.7 | 1.1 | .6 | .2 | 6.4 | 6.6 |
On 28 July 2022,Mega Basket hired Veličković as their new team manager.[34]
